Why is the turtle not eating? Red-eared tortoise does not eat, what to do

Having brought such an unusual pet as a turtle into the house, the owners often have a number of questions related to the maintenance of this unusual reptile. For example, what quality of water to use, or. But it happens that the owner notices the lethargic behavior of his pet, the turtle may refuse to eat, burrow into the ground and spend most of his time sleeping. Then a natural question arises - why does the turtle sleep and eat nothing, let's try to analyze this behavior and find the reason.

moving

One of the most common reasons for a turtle to sleep is when your pet moves in. And under the change of residence does not necessarily mean the relocation of the turtle to another aquarium. Even if you just moved the aquarium to another place in the house, your pet may experience stress because of this. If the move took place, then you should not worry, wait one to two weeks until the turtle gets used to it and returns to its normal lifestyle.

Thus, one of the reasons why the turtle sleeps and does not eat anything is the manipulation of the pet's home. In this case, you should not worry, after half a month the turtle will get used to the new place and will be active again.

Reducing daylight hours

At the end of summer, in their natural habitat, turtles prepare for wintering. In nature, during this period of time, daylight hours are reduced, and the reptile reacts to the reduction in daylight hours by preparing for hibernation. In captivity, if you do not maintain daylight hours at 12 hours or more during this time, your pet may also begin preparations for hibernation. This is manifested in the fact that the turtle sleeps much longer and begins to eat less.

Under home conditions, hibernation is not at all necessary for the turtle, and in some cases it can even harm the pet, therefore, if possible, wintering the turtle at home should be avoided. Getting your pet out of this state is quite simple - you should gradually increase the daylight hours with an incandescent lamp. The optimal light day for a turtle is 12 hours at any time of the year.

Temperature

One of the factors that may well influence the fact that the turtle sleeps in the summer is the ambient temperature in the reptile aquarium. It should be understood that the optimum temperature in the turtle terrarium is from +26 to +33 degrees. If in summer the temperature rises above 35 degrees, then the land tortoise can burrow into the ground in order to cool there, and get out of the shelter only to eat once every 2-3 days.

The reverse side of the influence of temperature can lead to the fact that the turtle constantly sleeps and does not eat anything. This behavior manifests itself when the temperature in the reptile aquarium decreases. When the ambient temperature or water in the aquarium drops below +20 - +25 degrees, your pet will prepare for hibernation. If this happens, be sure to raise the temperature in the turtle's home, after which the pet will return to its normal behavior again.

You should monitor the temperature in the turtle aquarium not by eye, but with the help of a thermometer installed in it. The aquarium must have several climatic zones. This is achieved with the help of an incandescent lamp, which is installed in one of the edges of the aquarium, thereby heating one side of the pet's home. On the opposite side of the aquarium, the temperature should be about 5 degrees lower. Thus, the pet himself will be able to choose the optimal temperature for himself.

It is also worth noting that it is rare that a turtle is able to stay awake every day, the turtle sleeps quite a lot, especially after eating. Therefore, if all of the above reasons are excluded, perhaps you just got a sleepyhead and you need to put up with it?

Hello Marina!

Unfortunately, you did not talk about the conditions in which the pet is kept. Refusal of food and lethargy is a consequence of the fact that the turtle is very uncomfortable. Or perhaps you were sold a sick animal - land reptiles are especially susceptible to all sorts of ailments.

Why is the turtle not eating?

• Temperatures below 25 degrees cause the turtle to refuse food.
• Stress due to changing living conditions can be the cause of a hunger strike.
• Weather change also causes stress and reduces appetite
• Lack of light. If you cannot feed your pet because of this, then in the terrarium it is necessary to increase the temperature by using a light source. The metabolism is normalized, and the reptile will begin to be interested in food. Otherwise, the lethargic turtle will try to hibernate, and this should not be allowed at home.
• If you offer inappropriate food, the pet will refuse to eat.
• A meager diet, the same food does not arouse enthusiasm in the turtle.
• If you keep heterosexual reptiles together, then during the breeding season they refuse to eat. After mating, they will regain their appetite.

Turtle has closed eyes

The constantly closed eyes of a reptile are an alarm signal. The reasons may be that the pet receives less ultraviolet radiation. UV light is important for the production of vitamin D by the turtle body. Otherwise, hypovitaminosis, rickets develop, and metabolism is disturbed. And as a result, the reptile becomes lethargic, refuses food, her eyes swell and she keeps them closed. How to help the turtle:

• Install a UV lamp. Repti Glo is recommended. A land reptile needs an 8.0 or 10.0 lamp. An adequate substitute with a UV-B value of 8 - 10% is also suitable.
• The lamp must be on 12 hours a day.
• Give ReptoCal and Reptolife with food. They need to be mixed in a ratio of 3 to 1. Dilute the mixture of powders at the bottom of a teaspoon with a small amount of water and inject it into a piece of food. Such a "healing" food should be given with each feeding. If the pet is not eating yet, forcefully pour the mixture into the mouth once a day, and when it begins to feed on its own, switch to "enriched" food, as indicated above.
• Make reptile baths with chamomile tea. The duration of the procedure is half an hour. The bath temperature should be between 26 and 30 degrees. Please be present during the procedure and make sure that the turtle does not drown.

Sometimes the turtle not only has its eyes closed, but swollen eyelids and inflamed conjunctiva. Most often this is due to a lack of A-vitamin. Under the lower eyelid, you can notice a discharge that looks like pus. In turtles, vision plays an important role in feeding. If such an inflammatory process develops, the reptile refuses to eat. How to help:

• Make two injections of the Eleovit vitamin complex. Between injections, a pause of 2 weeks. Dose - 0.6 ml per kilogram of reptile weight.
• Rinse eyes twice a day. Use warm saline for this. Chamomile decoction also gives good results.
• After washing the eye, you need to instill drops of "Sofradex". The course of drops lasts no more than five days. You can also drip drugs "Alucid", "Tsipromed".
• If the eyelids are very inflamed and reddened, it is necessary to apply an ointment to them - tetracycline or gentamicin.
• While the reptile is not eating, you can support it with a 5% subcutaneous injection of ringer and glucose.

Sincerely, Galina.

Red-eared turtles have fascinated many people. They are bought in pet stores, markets, brought from the sea. But are the sellers reporting the correct information? And if your red-eared turtle does not eat, moves a little and closes its eyes, then most likely you have created conditions that are incorrect for it.

Many unscrupulous traders assure that the animal is unpretentious and a basin is enough for it, you can feed it with fruits and vegetables. Keeping in inappropriate conditions affects the appetite and general condition of the acquired pet.

Why does the red-eared turtle eat little

There may be several answers to the question why the turtle does not eat. The main causes of poor health and their elimination are given below.

Getting used to changing conditions or adaptation after acquisition

You bought an animal a few days ago or recently cleaned the aquarium, and the red-eared turtle is lethargic and does not eat much. Do not worry, she gets used to the environment, temperature and composition of the water. The stressful condition will pass, and your pet will become healthy and active again.

Autumn coming

There is less sun, so the pet is less active. Nothing needs to be done, with the onset of January everything will return to normal.

sexual behavior

If the pet eats little, but remains active, then you have a male. With the manifestation of sexual activity, animals become restless and abruptly stop eating. After the end of the mating season, the pet's condition returns to normal.

Suppression of weak individuals

In group keeping, hardy individuals dominate the weak ones, taking food from them. When feeding, the oppressed animals should be separated and food should be given separately from the rest.

Wrong content

Often sellers are silent about the fact that turtles need a temperature of 26-35 degrees Celsius. This parameter is the main condition for the existence of cold-blooded animals. Turtles are relatives of snakes, lizards and crocodiles. According to biological systematics, all of the listed animals belong to reptiles, and this class of animals does not know how to maintain a constant body temperature, as people and other mammals do.

To support all life processes, they need warm habitats. Usually these are southern latitudes. If the turtle does not open its eyes and does not move much, then look at the indicators of the water thermometer. If they are within the specified norm (26-35 ° C), then read about other reasons and create favorable conditions.

Mistakes in feeding

The owner of the animal may be misinformed, as a result of which he will give the turtle unsuitable.

Remember that this species is omnivorous, but young individuals are fed only meat. For adults, the diet is made up by the ratio: half animal food, half plant food.

Disease

Aquatic species are not adapted to our climatic zone and are highly susceptible to diseases: helminthiasis, constipation, pneumonia. For example, with inflammation of the eyelids, the turtle's eyes are closed, it stops eating. With a prolonged hunger strike and symptoms of the disease (sneezing, nasal discharge, bleeding), it is necessary to contact a specialist - a veterinary herpetologist.

Do red-eared turtles hibernate?

Under natural conditions, turtles need winter sleep to survive the cold and short sunny days. Inhabitants of fresh water bodies kept at home do not need hibernation. By maintaining the same temperature regime and the degree of ultraviolet radiation, the pet will survive the autumn period and will only slightly reduce activity. If there are no visible signs of illness, but the turtle is sleeping and not eating, then prepare to "overwinter" for one or two months.

The sleeping room should be made small, at the bottom - a ten-centimeter layer of sand and a little water to create humidity. When you transplanted a pet into a house, then lower the temperature to 8–10 ° C in a week and a half. Put the turtle on the veranda, balcony, or take it to the basement. Check your pet regularly and carefully.

Remember: a domestic freshwater turtle does not need a long dormant period, so it is not necessary to specifically create conditions for hibernation.

What you need for a long life pet

With proper care, these reptiles live up to fifty years, so their maintenance is costly. You can make an aquarium yourself or buy a suitable, optimal volume of about 100-120 liters. One third of the dwelling area is land, connected to the water part by a rough ladder. The water in the aquarium should be sufficient for the free movement of the reptile: usually the turtle does not move or swim when there is not enough space.

The water temperature must be above room temperature, so additionally purchase a thermostat based on the size of the aquarium. To heat the surface air space, I use incandescent lamps of 40-60 W, they are usually turned on during the day. For the formation of vitamin D in the pet's body and the absorption of calcium, it is necessary to put ultraviolet lamps with UVB 10%.

The water used is ordinary tap water. Turtles heavily pollute the aquarium, for regular cleaning you need a filter, the volume of which is two or three times the actual volume.

All products can be purchased at pet stores or online stores.

What do red-eared turtles eat

The natural diet of this reptile consists of medium-sized fish, crustaceans, aquatic molluscs, and insects. They eat plants, getting the necessary vitamins and fiber from them. At home, the turtle is fed with low-fat fish (leave the bones in the fish, grind large ones), liver, shrimp, squid, snails. The meat is not thermally processed. From plants give dandelion, plantain, leaf lettuce.

Often a small turtle will not eat when vegetables and herbs are fed to it. Juveniles are predators; vegetables, fruits, greens should not be given to them. Until the age of two, they are fed every day, then - two or three times a week. Do not overfeed the animal, otherwise obesity will occur. In half an hour, the turtle should have time to eat the entire portion.

You can not feed the turtle food from the table, lamb, pork, crab sticks. In limited quantities, give hamarus, bloodworms, corytra, mealworms and food insects.

Take care of your beloved animals and do not forget that we are responsible for those we have tamed. Let your pets always be healthy, vigorous and please the owners with their behavior.

Sometimes the owners of such exotic animals as turtles are faced with the problem of refusing food. When an animal does not eat anything for a long time, this is often the first sign of stress or illness. There can be a huge number of reasons for this, therefore, in order for the reptile to begin to actively absorb food again, the first step is to find out and eliminate the cause.

Reasons for not eating

One of the first reasons a turtle won't eat is overfeeding. But besides this, there are a number of situations that can affect the reptile's appetite.

It should be noted right away that turtles are cold-blooded animals and due to changes in the environment or living conditions, they can significantly slow down their metabolism. Adults can go without food for up to three months. At the same time, up to 40% of body weight is noticeably lost. It should be understood that prolonged fasting can be the result of exhaustion and negative health consequences.

Conditions in the terrarium

The terrarium you have created should be comfortable for the animal in every way. The conditions should resemble the natural habitat. Any changes can affect the mood and health of turtles:

1. Temperature. This may be the root cause and answer to the question why the turtle has not eaten for a long time. The optimum temperature should be between 25-27 degrees. If the turtle is cold, it becomes inactive, can sleep a lot and even hibernate.
2. Lighting. Poor lighting can also affect the appetite and mobility of reptiles. It is important that the lamp was with ultraviolet radiation. It is this kind of lighting that helps the body produce vitamin D3.
3. Water. Make sure that there is always clean and fresh water in the drinking bowl. Often the turtle may refuse to eat due to thirst.
4. Food. Perhaps your pet is not satisfied with the food offered. Remember that food should be varied and consistent with food accessories. Try to give herbivorous turtles, in addition to plants, branches of fruit trees, sunflower seeds. For predators, diversify animal food. It happens that the reptile just fell in love with a certain product and is waiting for it.
5. Pregnancy. If the turtle does not eat at the time of pregnancy, this means that the animal feels restless, so the appetite may disappear for 2-3 months.
6. Puberty. This is an important factor that can affect your pet's appetite.
7. Eye diseases. If the reptile feels well, is not pregnant, but still refuses to eat, pay attention to her eyes. The cause of starvation may be conjunctivitis. The fact is that turtles find food through sight (not smell), and swollen eyelids can simply interfere with the search for food.

In addition, if there are two individuals of the opposite sex in your aquarium, it means that mating games can become the result of poor appetite. Of course, at this moment there is no time for food, but after mating, the animals will certainly renew their strength and eat more than they should. You should not be surprised or worried about this.

Disease

So, what can be done if the reptile has stopped eating? First of all, you need to examine the turtle externally, monitor its behavior and general condition.

Consider diseases and their external signs:

What to do when a disease is detected? In all cases, you can not do without a visit to a professional. If you react in time to the external signs of illness, the treatment will be quick and successful, and the animal will soon eat well and lead an active lifestyle.

Many owners of exotic animals are concerned about the question of why the red-eared turtle does not eat? A turtle is a cold-blooded animal that can slow down metabolism by half, depending on the environment and the state of the body as a whole. Adults can easily go without food for about 90 days, while losing 40% of their weight and using their body fat reserves. However, prolonged starvation of the animal will lead to severe exhaustion and serious consequences in the body.

Reasons why the turtle does not eat anything

Most often, the turtle refuses food when the conditions of its maintenance change or the presence of some unusual disease. In the absence of clinical signs, turtle wasting disease can be caused by sepsis or kidney failure, as well as various other serious diseases.

When establishing a diagnosis, the veterinarian must take into account the season. After all, turtles from October to January react to shorter daylight hours, and begin to eat less. At elevated temperatures in the terrarium, with an increase in the duration of daylight hours, that is, starting from January-February, the turtles eat again.

Refusal to feed in the spring is typical for overwintered turtles, especially those that have been in a cool temperature and without moisture for a long time, for example, in an apartment on the floor. Healthy turtles, if wintering conditions are properly observed, take food already a few days after turning on the heating of the terrarium.

If, with an increase in temperature and with an increase in the length of daylight hours, your turtle does not begin to eat, then you need to urgently conduct a thorough examination by a veterinarian, and, if necessary, begin treatment. After all, the wintering of turtles is associated not only with the refusal of food, but also of drinking too. This entails such very unpleasant consequences as a drop in the level of vitamins and glucose, blood concentration, an increase in the level of toxic elements that are formed as a result of metabolism.

The most serious consequences of malnourished and dehydrated turtles are kidney and liver failure.

If your pet looks well enough, but at the same time categorically refuses food, you should examine the eyes. There are cases that the cause of starvation is conjunctivitis.

If the tortoise is not eating, but is very active and does not appear emaciated, then it may be a male that is sexually active. As a rule, during such a period, the appetite of animals is significantly reduced. Of course, the question of why the turtle does not eat is best asked by the veterinarian, but the information provided in this article will definitely not bother you.